Veni Creator Spiritus: Second Vespers of the Solemnity of Pentecost The Choir of Westminster Cathedral & Simon Johnson

• Gregorian Chant: Deus in adiutorium:
• 1 Chant: Deus in adiutorium 01:07
• Lodovico Grossi da Viadana (1560 - 1627), Gregorian Chant: Chant:
• 2 Viadana, Chant: Psalm 109 04:20
• 3 Viadana, Chant: Psalm 110 04:13
• Gregorian Chant: Psalm 111:
• 4 Chant: Psalm 111 04:49
• Psalm 112:
• 5 Chant: Psalm 112 03:47
• Psalm 113:
• 6 Chant: Psalm 113 11:34
• Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (1525 - 1594): Dum complerentur:
• 7 Palestrina: Dum complerentur 05:52
• Gregorian Chant: Veni Creator Spiritus:
• 8 Chant: Veni Creator Spiritus 03:46
• Thomas Tallis (1505 - 1585): Loquebantur variis linguis:
• 9 Tallis: Loquebantur variis linguis 04:24
• Tomás Luis de Victoria (1548 - 1611): Magnificat primi toni:
• 10 Victoria: Magnificat primi toni 11:53
• Gregorian Chant: Collect:
• 11 Chant: Collect 01:08
• Gabriel Jackson (b. 1921): Factus est repente:
• 12 Jackson: Factus est repente 06:02
• Gregorian Chant: Benedicamus Domino:
• 13 Chant: Benedicamus Domino 01:07
• Herbert Howells (1892 - 1983): Four Anthems to the Blessed Virgin Mary, Op. 9:
• 14 Howells: Four Anthems to the Blessed Virgin Mary, Op. 9: IV. Regina cæli 03:19
• Maurice Duruflé (1902 - 1986): Prélude, Adagio et Choral Varié sur le Veni Creator, Op. 4:
• 15 Duruflé: Prélude, Adagio et Choral Varié sur le Veni Creator, Op. 4: III. Choral Varié 05:58
• Total Runtime 01:13:19

Info for Veni Creator Spiritus: Second Vespers of the Solemnity of Pentecost

Pentecost, the foundational moment of the creation of the Church, was an overpowering spectacle marked by mighty wind and tongues of fire, by which the apostles were filled with the Holy Spirit and set out upon their universal mission of evangelisation to all peoples. In this album, the Choir of Westminster Cathedral demonstrates the majesty and glory of this story anew through their performance of the psalms and chants appointed for the celebration of Vespers at the end of this day. The ancient texts of this feast are also adorned with choral settings by Palestrina, Tallis and Victoria, exemplifying the polyphony for which this choir is renowned, as well as through a contemporary composition by Gabriel Jackson. The album concludes with Herbert Howells’ imposing setting of Regina cæli and Maurice Duruflé’s thunderous organ work based on the famous Vespers hymn Veni Creator Spiritus.

Peter Stevens, organ
Westminster Cathedral Choir
Simon Johnson, direction

Simon Johnson
became Master of Music at Westminster Cathedral in September 2021, following thirteen years at St Paul’s Cathedral. Described by Gramophone magazine as ‘A brilliant and sensitive musician’, he was involved in all of the national occasions that took place at St Paul’s, and an active recital schedule takes him regularly to the USA and to many of the great venues in Europe, including a Royal Festival Hall debut in 2017. At Westminster he directs the world famous choir in concerts, tours, recordings and in the daily Opus Dei. He has performed with groups such as the LSO, RPO, City of London Sinfonia, and The Sixteen, recorded for Decca, Coro, Hyperion and Chandos, been published by OUP and Peters, collaborated with NASA and the International Space Station, and also worked on the Oscar-winning soundtrack for The Grand Budapest Hotel. His most recent recording, B-A-C-H Anatomy of a motif, has attracted widespread critical acclaim.

Peter Stevens
is Assistant Master of Music at Westminster Cathedral. Born in Lancashire, he spent his sixth form years at Chetham’s School of Music in Manchester, where in his final year he also held the Junior Organ Scholarship at Manchester Cathedral. On leaving school, he spent a year as Organ Scholar at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle, where he played for services at which members of the Royal Family were present, including the service to mark HM The Queen’s 80th birthday.

Peter spent four years as Organ Scholar at King’s College, Cambridge, accompanying the famous Chapel Choir in their daily services, broadcasts and recordings, as well as giving concerts in over 15 countries across the world. He played three times for the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols, broadcast live on Christmas Eve to a worldwide audience of millions.

After graduating with BA and MusB degrees, Peter moved to Westminster Cathedral as Organ Scholar, before taking up his present position in January 2011. In addition to working with the Cathedral Choir, he organises and gives many of the Cathedral’s organ recitals.

For three years, he was Organist of the Edington Festival of Music within the Liturgy, becoming Director of the Festival’s Schola Cantorum in 2013. His organ teachers have included Jeremy Filsell, Colin Walsh, Thomas Trotter, and David Briggs.

The Choir of Westminster Cathedral
is acclaimed as one of the world’s great choirs. Since its foundation in 1903 it has occupied a unique and enviable position at the forefront of English church music, not least because of the ground-breaking work of its first Master of Music, Richard Terry, who revived the great works of the English and continental Renaissance composers. The choir’s fame grew under Terry as it presented this forgotten music, revolutionising attitudes to the repertoire. Innovation continued under George Malcolm who pioneered the development of the choir’s sound along continental lines, resulting in a choir that was truly revolutionary in both what and how it sang. The choir continues these traditions under its present Master of Music, Martin Baker, and it remains the only Catholic Cathedral choir in the world to sing daily Mass and Vespers. More recent holders of the post have included Colin Mawby, Stephen Cleobury, David Hill and James O’Donnell.

The choir’s reputation is ever-expanding and it continues to reach new audiences through its series of acclaimed recordings. In 1998 the choir was awarded the Gramophone Awards for ‘Best Choral Recording of the Year’ and ‘Record of the Year’ for the performance of Frank Martin’s Messe and Pizzetti’s Requiem.

The choir has a history of commissioning and performing new music, famous examples being Britten’s Missa brevis for boys’ voices, the Mass in G minor by Vaughan Williams and compositions by Wood, Holst and Howells. Within the last decade the choir has commissioned new Masses from James MacMillan, Peter Maxwell Davies, Judith Bingham, John Tavener, Matthew Martin and Stephen Hough, all of which were first performed in the context of the regular liturgies at Westminster Cathedral.

Westminster Cathedral Choir features frequently on radio and television. When its busy liturgical schedule permits it takes its music further afield. In addition to regular concerts around the UK, recent tours have included Hungary, Norway, Germany, Belgium, Italy and the USA.

This album contains no booklet.